Fifteen years after the opening of Bota Bota, spa-on-water in Montreal’s Old Port, the Pavilion extends and enriches the site experience, reinforcing the status of this unique destination, now inseparable from Montreal’s landscape. Developed as a continuation of the founding concept while offering a fresh interpretation of this distinctive experience, the expansion enhances the thermal journey through the addition of new bathing and relaxation sequences, while also addressing very concrete needs related to the site’s growth, particularly in terms of changing rooms, lockers, and administrative spaces.
Spread across three decks, the project stages an architectural progression moving through mineral, aquatic, and then vegetal worlds. From shadow to light, from the inwardness of the ship to an opening onto the sky, the gardens, the river, and the city, the Pavilion emerges from a dialogue between two realms: the thermal experience on the water, rooted in the maritime and port environment, and a contemplative biophilic approach inspired by the world of gardens. The exposed steel structure, abundant plant life, skylights, and an architecture largely open to its surroundings act as a perceptual device, framing views and intensifying the relationship with the natural elements. The project is grounded in close coordination between architecture, naval architecture, and engineering, where the constraints inherent to building on water, from buoyancy to the integration of mechanical systems, became drivers of the design.
